Ubisoft profits rise to £30m in FY2012

French publishing giant Ubisoft has posted full-year profits of €37.3m (£29.7m) for the twelve months ended March 31st, 2012.

The company racked up€1.06bn (£845m)in sales, up from the €1.04bn (£828m) taken in the previous financial year. Its current operating income came in at €56m (£44.6m).

Ubisoft attributed its success to solid digital titles such as The Settlers Online. Online and digital sales leapt by 110.8 per cent to €80m (£67.3m).

The Just Dance franchise also continue to be a massive sales driver, generating €483m (£384.9m) in revenue throughout the fiscal year. Assassin's Creed: Revelations, Rayman Origins, and Driver: San Francisco also enjoyed strong sales.

"Ubisoft achieved a 90 per cent surge in current operating income in fiscal 2011-12, in he upper range of the targets announced a year ago," said CEO Yves Guillemot.

"This achievement was notably spurred by strong growth in online and digital revenue. We ended the year in a solid financial position - all the while having continued to invest in the future - primarily thanks to better-than-expected cash flows.

"Lastly, thanks to our focus on ramping up our teams' online expertise, combined with the know-how brought in by our recent acquisitions and with the recruitment of specialised talent, we are now in a position to fully seize the numerous current and future opportunities of the video game industry."

Guillemot expects an increase of between 25 and 61 per cent in operating income for the new financial year, with particularly strong growth from the free-to-play market.

Ubisoft intends to "capitalise on the forthcoming arrival of the next generation of consoles" and the ongoing growth in free-to-play games on PC, smartphones and tablets.

Sales for the first three months of fiscal 2012-13 are expected to be driven primarily by Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Future Soldier and more than 15 online and digital titles, including the already-successful Trials Evolution and free-to-play Silent Hunter Online.

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